Strawberry Pop Pop Pop chapter 16

As soon as they got out of the car, Ji Mu and Gu Yuanchen didn’t immediately see Han Yang. Instead, they were greeted by the middle-aged man, Village Chief Li, who had been waiting for them in the yard, as well as Han Yang’s elderly grandmother.

The elderly woman was sitting by the door, weaving a bamboo basket. Upon hearing footsteps approaching, she couldn’t be bothered to even lift her head. She simply used the cane by her chair to knock on the door behind her.

Soon after, Han Yongnian, wearing a padded jacket, came out from inside.

“Oh, Mr. Ji and Mr. Gu have come. I could tell from your phone call a few days ago that you are distinguished guests! My son, following you, must be living the high life, much better than being with me!” He warmly invited them inside. The rundown single-story house had sunlight seeping through cracks, and it was covered in dust.

Han Yongnian poured only two glasses of cold water and didn’t even bother with pleasantries, asking, “So… did you bring the money I asked for?”

Gu Yuanchen had the bodyguards bring over a suitcase. “This is the twenty thousand you wanted. We’re taking Han Yang with us today.”

“No problem!” Han Yongnian took out a stack of money and started counting, displaying a greedy expression as if he had never seen money before. Growing up in such a poor place and lacking exposure to the world, twenty thousand was a substantial sum for Han Yongnian. He was genuinely surprised that he could get so much money for Han Yang.

Ji Mu turned his gaze away in disgust, not wanting to stay here any longer. “Where is Han Yang?”

Han Yongnian shouted loudly from outside, “Old lady, where did the brat go?!”

The elderly woman outside didn’t respond.

Han Yongnian cursed under his breath, then turned around and smiled, emphasizing without missing a beat, “Oh, I remember now. He’s gone to school. My son, after all, is going to support me in my old age. He needs to study!”

Ji Mu had a general idea of where the school was since he had seen it on the way here. The entire school consisted of only two classrooms. If he had known that Han Yang was inside, Ji Mu would have gone to get him first.

The village chief, Li, hastily added, “I just sent my wife to call him. He should be here soon.” He was simple and kind-hearted, couldn’t bear to see Han Yang being mistreated, and was eager to get rid of this poor child now that someone was willing to help him.

The lawyer behind Gu Yuanchen was a shrewd individual. He immediately said to Village Chief Li, “Could you please act as a witness?”

Village Chief Li nodded. “Sure.”

The lawyer handed an agreement to Han Yongnian. “Mr. Han, this is an agreement that we need you to sign and affix your seal to, as agreed during our phone call. The twenty thousand is a subsidy from the Gu family to support the livelihood of the Han family, not a transaction for human trafficking. Additionally, Mr. Han agrees that the Gu family will assist Han Yang in receiving a better education away from here. Mr. Han should refrain from excessive interference until Han Yang reaches adulthood.”

Without any hesitation, Han Yongnian signed the agreement as soon as he saw it. He was afraid that he would be too slow, and they might change their minds.

In his eyes, Han Yang was nothing more than an object.

As time passed, after all the procedures were completed, Han Yang was led into the yard by Village Chief Li’s wife, Mrs. Wang, in a hurry.

“Come on, dear, you’re leaving here soon. It’s a good thing.” Mrs. Wang pulled him urgently. “You’re going to leave here right away. Don’t be so stubborn.”

But Han Yang was unwilling to step into the yard no matter what.

It was Ji Mu who took the initiative to walk outside, but as soon as he saw Han Yang, he noticed the bruise on his lip. Han Yang hid behind Mrs. Wang, unwilling to let Ji Mu see him.

“Han Yang,” Ji Mu called out to him, fearing his resistance, and didn’t approach right away.

Han Yang dared not raise his head. His backpack and clothes were worn and tattered, and he didn’t know how to explain the things that Han Yongnian had sold. So, when he saw Han Yongnian walking out with a stack of money, he felt so ashamed that he wanted to kill Han Yongnian.

“Don’t… don’t give him the money!”

He panicked and tried to grab the money from Han Yongnian’s hand, not wanting him to taste this sweet deal. Just as Wang Sheng had said, Han Yongnian was not an easy person to deal with. He must not know about the existence of the Gu family, or the existence of Gu Nuan!

At that moment, Han Yang thought of Gu Nuan again.

Ignoring everything, Han Yang desperately tried to grab the money, but Han Yongnian punched him in the face. In the next moment, two bodyguards quickly restrained Han Yongnian. The money he was holding scattered all over the ground, and Han Yang, like a madman, started picking it up.

Mrs. Wang was at a loss, retreating a few steps in panic. “Oh my, what’s going on with this child…”

Han Yang’s hands were covered in dirt, his face pale, as he crawled on the ground to collect the money. He couldn’t hear Han Yongnian’s foul language; he could only shout desperately, “Don’t give him the money! You can’t give him the money! He’s a bad person! He’s a bad person!”

It was as if he had lost the ability to explain himself and could only scream instinctively to express his thoughts.

Han Yang trembled all over. Just last night, Han Yongnian had held his head in the courtyard’s water tank. The icy cold stagnant water had made him forget his desire to live. He was like a dying ember.

Li Li and Han Yongnian had given him life, but they had also pushed him toward despair. He was always alone, always disliked, always walking on thin ice.

His heart was a desolate and barren land where no seed was willing to take root.

It wasn’t until Ji Mu gently held his frostbitten hand and stopped him that Han Yang slowly raised his head, and in Ji Mu’s deep pupils, he saw a caring expression.

“Don’t be afraid anymore. I’m here to take you away.”

Ji Mu’s voice was so gentle that it made Han Yang shiver all over. He remained motionless and let the tears flow.

Han Yang couldn’t remember how he got into the car with Ji Mu; he only remembered clutching a few banknotes tightly in his hand. His body remained stiff, unable to relax. He didn’t take anything with him.

The look of disgust on Han Yongnian’s face was imprinted in his mind and wouldn’t fade away.

After a long time, Han Yang gradually released his grip. The banknotes fell onto the car, and Ji Mu gently wiped away his tears. He had the driver turn up the heater in the car. “Let me see your injuries.”

Han Yang obediently took off his shirt, revealing his frail body covered in shocking bruises. It wasn’t just Han Yongnian’s handiwork; Wang Sheng had also contributed. Old and new injuries were both visible. Ji Mu applied some ointment to him without making Han Yang put back on his tattered clothes.

They had prepared a new set of winter clothes in the car, the colors of transitioning from winter to spring.

Ji Mu handed a strawberry-flavored lollipop to Han Yang. “It’s too far for Xiao Nuan to come with us, so he asked me to give you this.”

Han Yang’s body trembled slightly.

“Han Yang, you don’t have to suppress your pheromones,” Ji Mu tried to say something lighthearted. “Do you know? Xiao Nuan bought a lot of lollipops and can’t bear to eat a single one, saying he wants to wait for you to come back to eat them together.”

Han Yang clenched the lollipop tightly in his hand.

The scenery along the way was dull, and he kept his body tense, unable to open up. He couldn’t bring himself to eat the lollipop; he carefully placed it in his pocket. He had no idea what his future held.

Ji Mu didn’t say much more; he wanted to give Han Yang some time to adjust.

The journey to the airport was excessively long, and Han Yang, exhausted, quickly fell asleep in his seat.

But not even twenty minutes later, he suddenly woke up. In his dream, his head had been immersed in a tub of icy water, making it hard to breathe. He had cried for help many times, but all he had attracted were curious neighbors.

If Village Chief Li hadn’t rushed over, he would have died last night.

In the world, there are parents who deeply love their children, and there are also parents who despise their children.

Tears poured from his eyes as Han Yang, suppressing his emotions and pheromones, realized this. He couldn’t forget Han Yongnian’s words, “Don’t let me smell your pheromones, the same as that slut Li Li!”

He couldn’t tell if he had heard those words before he turned seven or if it was just in the past few days. His consciousness was hazy, and he was both disgusted by his inability to control his pheromones and terrified of Han Yongnian, who was constantly closing in.

So when he opened his eyes and saw Ji Mu, who had extended a helping hand, he suddenly burst into tears like a child.

His heart was sick and he was filled with so much trauma.

Realizing this, Ji Mu felt a mix of emotions. He couldn’t send a sick child to a boarding school. If Han Yang was still left alone, this state of affairs would never change.

He hesitated to speak to Gu Yuanchen, but in the end, Gu Yuanchen gave him reassurance. “I’ll leave you to make the decision on this matter.”

Author’s Note:

The next chapter will return to the timeline of them being grown up.